Teen Dads Tied to Babies' Health Risks

Teenage fathers may be more likely than older men to havebabies that have lower birth weight and a higher death rate.

That news comes from a study posted online in Human Reproduction.It's one of few studies to focus on teenage fathers.

The study included data on 2.8 million U.S. babies born from 1995 to 2000 towomen in their 20s. The researchers focused on women in their 20s becausethey're less likely than teen girls to have risky births.

Most of the babies were fathered by men in their 20s or 30s. But more than28,000 babies were fathered by men younger than 20.

Compared with babies fathered by men in their 20s, babies fathered by teens were more likely to have these risks:

Preterm birth

Low birth weight

Small size for their gestational age

Less healthy at birth

Higher death rate from birth through their first birthday

The researchers aren't blaming teenage fathers for those problems. The datadon't reveal everything about the parents' health, class, lifestyle, and otherfactors.

But biology might play a role, according to the researchers.

Men younger than 25 are more likely than older men to have immature sperm,which "might be associated with an increased risk of adverse birthoutcomes," write Xi-Kuan Chen, MD, PhD, and colleagues. Chen works in theobstetrics and gynecology department at Canada's University of Ottawa.